What Students Need to Know

Eligibility and Requirements

The FGCU Campus Food Pantry (CFP) serves currently enrolled FGCU students who are experiencing food insecurity. “Food Insecurity” refers to the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times due to inadequate financial resources. All clients are required to have a valid FGCU Eagle ID to be able to use the CFP. If you are experiencing problems with your Eagle ID, please visit the Eagle ID Card Office to resolve the problem before using the CFP.

Your First Visit

If you are a new client to the CFP, you are required to read and sign a Recipient Agreement. During your first visit, you will be provided with a reusable bag. If you need to make future visits to the CFP, we ask that you bring a reusable bag for your convenience.

Food Pantry Procedures

While waiting to use the CFP, we ask that all clients sit on the chairs to the left of the food pantry. This will help ensure the privacy of the students who are currently using the food pantry, as well as, control traffic in the hallway. You will be called in accordingly.

All clients must sign in with the staff member. Your Eagle ID will be swiped to verify your enrollment in the current semester.

You may visit the CFP once a week, when you are experiencing food insecurity.

During your visit, you may take up to 10 pounds of shelf stable food plus bread, frozen meat, and beverages, if they are available.

We provide a shopping basket to help you with your shopping convenience.

Each client may circulate through the CFP only ONCE. This diagram will illustrate the traffic flow of the CFP. It is essential that you only take items that you NEED and adhere to the posted limits on certain food items. Do not worry about going over the allotted 10 pounds. If you do go over the limit, you will choose what items to remove and leave on the weighing table for volunteers to restock.

After you have completed the middle aisle (the section that counts towards the 10 pounds), you need to weigh the items in your basket and make sure a volunteer confirms your weight. Please pack your items in your bag before proceeding to other sections in the food pantry. You may leave your basket at the weighing station for a volunteer to collect.

Once you have completed your visit in the food pantry, please exit through the back door.

Food Pantry Friendly Reminders

We ask students to respect the space that we are given and to maintain a quiet conversation - both inside and outside of the food pantry.

While in the food pantry, we do not allow students to use their cell phone. It is distracting to other clients, as well as, to our volunteers. If your phone call is important, please step outside of the food pantry and you may return when your conversation is completed.

We only provide one reusable bag to new clients. Please do not ask for a bag when you have forgotten yours.

You will notice several limitation signs throughout the food pantry. Please pay careful attention to each sign, as they often change each week.

Kindly observe all “Volunteer Only” signs. Not all donated items in our inventory are available to take. If you are not sure whether a location is for you to use, please ask a volunteer and they will gladly help you.

If we have frozen items available, do not leave the freezer open for an extended period of time. Decide what category of meat you’d like prior to opening the freezer (use the helpful instructions on the front of the freezer to find out what items can be found on which shelf).

Please keep all your personal belongings with you. The staff members and volunteers are not responsible for them being left at the desk or at the weighing table.

To be able to run the Campus Food Pantry efficiently and equitably, all guidelines and procedures need to be met and adhered to. Currently, the CFP is a choice pantry (a place where clients are able to decide what items they would like), but we also have the option of handing out pre-packed bags of food.

Please respect the generosity of our donors and only use the food pantry if you are experiencing food insecurity beyond your control. We also ask that you educate misinformed students who think that the food pantry is a place to receive “free food” and to only refer students whom you know need us and our service. The food pantry can only be sustainable if we all work together.

For any additional questions, please contact the food pantry at 239-745-FOOD (3663) or slloyd@fgcu.edu.